First of all can I say a huge thank you to my amazing, loyal followers who checked in on the blog whilst I was away on holiday (pictures to follow) and came straight back when I returned. I am so glad you all like the content and am pleased that you find the writing informative.
Next in my series of reviews from the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival is the special event that featured Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera Stanhope novels, Writer, Paul Rutman and Executive Producer, Elaine Collins of the Vera TV series and the star of the show, Vera herself - fabulous actress Brenda Blethyn.
Ann admitted that she has always had a passion for the word, character and getting the details right and that she was invited to the first read-through for the TV series and from the first, she could tell that Brenda was the perfect Vera. Series three of the TV series ends in August and series four will air in January, which contains a short piece of the new book, Harbour Street, which is out in January and episode one of Vera.
Ann said that she wrote the first Vera Stanhope novel in the 90s as her publisher wanted a great standalone novel like Minette Walters and Elaine was looking for books as the crimes on ITV were coming to a natural end and she wanted an out of the ordinary female. She read The Crow Trap and then all the rest of the novels and all of the research and development team felt that they had something special to move forward with. There was an option to commission and they discussed it with the Network and got Paul on board. They read Paul's spec script and then after three to four drafts of the treatment, the script was ready in January (as they loved the third draft) and they decided to commission it.
Brenda revealed that she said yes to the role within five days. She loved The Crow Trap and was so pleased to get the role of a detective. She fell in love with the character despite the 'bag lady' persona. She believes the character has a brilliant analytical mind and is so refreshing.
Paul read Hidden Depths, where you discover Vera, and loved the flintiness of her character with the charm, humour and lack of self-pity. The character was effortlessly fully formed and the books also give a sense of landscape. He read the book two more times to be clear in his mind and then distilled it into 90 minutes whilst still retaining the focus. He then rewrote it as an outline then looked back at his notes to try and catch the spirit of it. He finds the deadlines dreadful, but he is a frustrated actor who was not very good and then when he lost his hair, he thought it was a deal breaker for getting roles. He feels it is never the film in his head, but the pull is the alchemy. He would love to write a novel for all the right reasons, but a script is short and with a novel you do not have support.
They all agreed that they don't often get characters of a certain age too often, but producers now realise that they are catering to the baby boomers.
Brenda felt that she turns the script into the character to try and get it as accurately as the writer intended and Ann agrees that now when she writes Vera, she hears Brenda's voice. When she acts, Brenda learns the thought before she learns the line. Each episode has a different producer and now the production office and station scenes are at the old Swan Hunter - Ann is pleased because although they are no longer making ships, there are still jobs for the locals. The TV series features a house on Holy Island, but they have built a scale model because Holy Island is tidal.
Sometimes there can be control issues with an author and the TV process, but not so with Vera. Producers can worry that the writer will wash their hands of it if it becomes not as the original vision and they all feel that theirs is a model of how it should really happen. Helen Pepper helps them with the forensics and the Scene of Crime Officers on Vera are University Students so they are almost real.
Ann revealed that she never plans her writing to any degree at all. For example, she can start off with a young couple on the Metro in Newcastle, but as she is a reader too, she wants to know what happens next, so she has to answer it by writing the next chapter. She still keeps characters in books separate for the books to the screen.
They believe that the format of TV as 90 minutes means that they are constructed as single films, but they would be less satisfying if they were split. Brenda feels that Vera stays with her between filming and Ann is happy when they film era at Whitley Bay as it is near where she lives. The TV show is now on PBS, Netflicks, Acorn and Amazon.
Audience members where then invited to the signings outside, where I bought a copy which was signed by both Ann and Brenda.
#TheakstonsOldPeculierCrimeWritingFestival
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